William a



(No Mpde1.) A

A I W. A. WIOKS. METH 0D 01-" AND DEVICE FOR-FILLING AND DRAINING FOOD CANS. N-O. 291,117. 7

Patented JanL, 1', 1884.

WITNESSES:

N. PETERS nwvwmhu n l mr. Washinglan. n C.

I are filled through the vent-hole in the center,

and Fig. 3 is a view of the top of the can, with i, UNIT D STATES- PATEN'r 5 rricn.

METHOD OF AND DEVICE FOR FILLING AND DRAINING FOOD-CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,117, dated January 1, 1884.

Application filed November 6. 1883.

T0 wZZ 1072,0121, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. Wicks, of the city of Baltimore, and State of -Maryland, have invented a new and useful improvement in the method of filling and draining food-cans, preparatory to closing or sealing them, and also in apparatuses for accomplishing this purpose, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the process and the apparatus of the class for which Letters Patcnt were heretofore granted to me hearing date July 3, 1877, N 0. 192,803, and while the features of that invention are mainly continued in this, I proposeto add herein a new feature, which I will proceed to describe. 7

Figure l is an upright side view of the apparatus; Fig. 2, an end view of the same;

the small perforations shown,

In the drawings, A is a frame, between the sides of which is adapted to slide vertically a drip-pan, B, having a spout, h, and operated by means of the treadle O. The upper part of the drip-pan is constructed to receive and hold securely the tray D, in which the cans to be filled are placed. v

E is a reservoir for the liquids which are usually employed to. fill the spaces in the contents of the can. It is located at the upper part of the frame A, and connected by the pipe I) to the tankF, situated either above or below the reservoir, in order that a steam, hydrostatic, or other pressure may be used to force the liquids ,into the cans. The reservoir E is provided with a series of dischargepipes, H, equal in number to that of the cans to be filled. These pipes are provided with flexible ends or gaskets d, to form a close joint when the can-heads are brought in contact therewith. A stop-cock, f, regulates the flow of the liquid to the cans through the pipe I). The head of the can, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided with two small perforations or ventholes, one in the center (marked z) and the other located at the side, (marked 2.) The cans and when full the liquid will flow through the side vent.

(No model.)

K is a tank containing air or gas under pressure.

a is the outlet-pipe, by means of which the compressed air is conducted into the can through the center vent-hole in the head. The object may also be accomplished by a direct blast from a blower or air-pump without the intermediate air-tank.

The operation of filling the cans with the liquid is substantially the same as that de scribed in my Letters Patent above referred to. When the cans are filled by that method, and removed as therein described, the ventholes are closed or tipped bya drop of melted solder; but it often happens that the cans are too full of the liquid, a portion of which remains in and above the apertures, and must be set aside to allow the liquid to absorb, or the cans must havesomc of the liquid drained out; otherwise the molten solder, with which the vent-holes are closed, will be cooled by the liquid in the vent-holes, and will not adhere to the tin. In either case much loss of The object of my invention is to avoid this expense and loss of time, and provide a rapid method of relieving the cans and ventholes of a portion of the liquid with which the cans have been filled, and the introduction of the compressed-air tank with its accompanying devices for conveying thecompressed air to the cans is intended to accomplish this purpose. When the operator observes the liquid flowing from the vent-hole at the side, he closes the cock f and shuts off the liquid. He then lowers the sliding frame, allowingcthe liquid to flow out of the pipes H. The cans are then again raised in contact with the gasket. The cock 0 is then opened, allowing the compressed air to enter the center venthole, and escape through the one at the side. By this means a small part of the liquid in the cans is blown out, the vent-holes are cleared, and may be soldered at once.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. The above-described process of draining food-cans and preparing them for sealing or closing by introducing anor gas under pressure into one of the vent-holes and blowing a passage of compressed air from the tank portion of the liquid out of the other subthrough the ventho1es of the cans, substan- IO stantiaily as described, and for the purposes tially as and for the purposes described.

set forth. r t T v 2. In an apparatus for filling food eans Y ILLIAM ICIXS' with liquid, the tank K, containing compressed air or its equivalent, provided with 1 means for transmitting and regulating the} W'itnesses:

CHAS. H. Kori), SAML. I. }IAYT. 

